利用者:Asami Olivia Thornton/sandbox

経歴

1998年、ギターリストのマット･ホープス、ベーシストのプライアン･ピットマンと共にリライアントKを結成。同年、デモCDのAll Work & No Playを収録。そのデモがクリスチャン･ラッパーでゴーテー・レコードの設立者であるトビーマックの興味を引き、彼らはゴーテー･レコードと契約を結ぶ。2000年から2003年のゴーテー･レコードとの契約期間に、リライアントKは3枚のアルバムと、1枚のクリスマス･アルバム、そして4枚のEP盤をリリースした。 2004年、彼らの4thアルバムであるMmhmmがゴーテー・レコードとアメリカ合衆国の大手レコード会社、キャピトル・レコード両社よりリリースされ、board 200の週間売上チャート第15位を記録した。

In 2004, their fourth album Mmhmm was released on both Capitol Records and Gotee, and peaked at number fifteen on the Billboard 200.[2
After recording another EP in 2005, Mmhmm and Two Lefts Don't Make a Right...but Three Do, their 2003 album, were certified gold, followed by their 2001 album The Anatomy of the Tongue in Cheek in 2006.[3] In 2007, Gotee, Capitol, and EMI released Relient K's fifth studio album, Five Score and Seven Years Ago, which peaked at number six on the Billboard 200.[2] After the release of the double EP The Bird and the Bee Sides in 2008, the band signed with Gotee's Mono Vs. Stereo imprint, on which they released their sixth studio album, Forget and Not Slow Down, again reaching the top twenty of the Billboard 200.[2] Thiessen and the other members of Relient K have taken up A&R positions for the label as part of the record deal.[4]

For all of Relient K's history, Thiessen has been the lead vocalist, frontman, guitarist, primary songwriter, and sometime co-producer. Because of this position of musical leader, he maintains the most creative and artistic control of the band members.[5] He has also been credited with piano in most releases, beginning with The Anatomy of the Tongue in Cheek in 2001. Since the release of Mmhmm in 2004, his piano playing started becoming more prominent, and he began including a piano onstage as well.[6]

Solo projects and collaborations[edit]In addition to being in Relient K, Thiessen plays in his own solo piano project called Matthew Thiessen and the Earthquakes. The project has released a total of five songs on various samplers and compilation albums from Gotee and Mono Vs. Stereo, and several songs written for the project have been re-recorded on Relient K releases. In 2010, after the release and supporting tour of Forget and Not Slow Down, Thiessen announced that he would begin work on a full length solo album.[7] Although he had previously expressed interest in recording a studio release, he had placed his priority on Relient K, and relegated his solo work to his free time.[5]

Thiessen has occasionally collaborated with Jon Foreman of Switchfoot. After initial interest in recording vocals for a Switchfoot song, it instead worked out for Foreman to contribute vocals for the Relient K song "Deathbed" from Five Score and Seven Years Ago.[8] He later contributed songwriting and vocals to the Switchfoot release "Rebuild" in 2007, in conjunction for the Appetite for Construction Tour.

In 2009, he contributed vocals, songwriting, and production to Owl City's major-label debut Ocean Eyes, which has sold over 1,500,000 copies worldwide and reached the top ten on the Billboard 200.[9] Lead single "Fireflies" reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in late October.[10] Thiessen continues to work with Owl City's Adam Young and contributes vocals to "Plant Life", a song on the album, "All Things Bright and Beautiful". He also co-wrote "Good Time" with Owl City and Carly Rae Jepsen.[citation needed] Thiessen has also made guest contributions on a number of releases with other artists, including John Reuben, tobyMac and The Fold.[citation needed]

Musical style and influences[edit]Thiessen has received piano lessons since he was seven years old, with early interests in ragtime and Scott Joplin, specifically the soundtrack from The Sting. He taught himself guitar as a teenager by learning to play songs by grunge bands like Silverchair and Nirvana. Since Relient K's early days, Thiessen's main influences have been in the pop punk genre,[6] specifically NOFX, Less Than Jake, Ghoti Hook, MxPx,[5] and Goldfinger.[11] He later introduced influences from Simon & Garfunkel, Ben Folds, and The Beach Boys,[6] who he has named as his favorite band.[5] Thiessen has claimed that after years of writing and performing pop-punk songs, he now finds writing slower music more enjoyable.[11] He has described his Matt Thiessen and the Earthquakes side project as being influenced by Rufus Wainwright and Ben Folds.[6]

The Ballad of Dunder Mifflin[edit]Thiessen is a fan of the television series The Office, and will often pay tribute to the show during his concerts by singing a self-described "love song" about the series, titled "The Ballad of Dunder Mifflin". Following the song, he and the band will perform the show's opening theme.[12][13][14][15][16][17]

While the lyrics to "The Ballad of Dunder Mifflin" are often slightly altered during its various performances, the following is the version most commonly used: "Michael Scott, Pam and Jim, you've got me glued to my television. Angela, you're way too cute, to be messing around with someone like Dwight Schrute. Relient K and the Football Hall of Fame are in Canton... we wish someone would just transfer us to Scranton".